The Keeper's Lament
by apriljunemay
Summary: Sent away for her protection, Hermione struggles to heal and forget her past. Under her Uncle Charlie's protection she meets the Cullen's and, most importantly, her mate Jasper. How will they help her overcome the demons of her past? Especially as the war escalates, old friends return and a secret Hermione has never told anyone about comes to light.
1. Chapter 1

_"Please, please don't do this! I can help!"_

_Remus caressed her cheek. But his gentle hand and soothing touch did nothing to ease the pain radiating from her eyes. "Isn't there any other option, Alastor?"_

_Moody grunted in response and grabbed her roughly by the arm. His fingers dug roughly in her arm and she was yanked from Remus' warm arms. Small bruises would decorate there tomorrow. "We've looked at every other option." He said as he dragged her down the stairs of Headquarters. "There is nothing else we can do. She has got to go."_

"_Remus! Professor McGonagall, please! I don't want to go. I have to help Harry." Hermione said between sobs. Her voice was pained and threatened to break. Pain wreaked her tiny body as reminisces of Bellatrix's Crucio still lingered in her bones. It had been bearable at Shell Cottage when she had been resting. But too soon afterwards she had been attacked captured and tortured again. If it hadn't been for Harry contacting Remus and the rest of the Order, she would be dead right now._

"_For being the smartest witch of her age you sure are stupid girl." Moody snarled._

_McGonagall was the one that came to her defence. "Alastor!"_

_Moody shoved Hermione through the front door and into the cold street. The air bit at her skin and immediately her limbs started to freeze. Her teeth chattered from the cold._

"_It's the truth!" he shouted. Moody turned and pulled Hermione close, grabbed her chin roughly and forced her eyes to glare into his. If he was bothered by the pained look in her face he made no notion of it. "This was Harry's idea, girl."_

_Hermione blinked rapidly. No, he wouldn't do that to her. He and Ron __needed __her. They wouldn't be able to find and destroy the Horcruxes if she wasn't there to help. But, as she looked around at McGonagall's and Remus' downtrodden faces, she knew it to be the truth._

_They were right, she thought. They had left me because…. No! I won't let them!_

"_Please." Hermione begged her voice barely a whisper. "Please, just let me stay .I…I-I'll do anything!"_

_For the first time since she had known him, Hermione swore she saw Moody's eyes soften. Gone were those darken soldier eyes, gone was the harshness and bitterness of an experienced veteran. No, now they were gentle – like her father's – and Hermione could see how aged he was. War had touched his soul just like it had touched her._

"_I'm sorry." He said softly so the others wouldn't hear. "I truly am."_

_Hermione felt his wand press itself against her stomach. Behind her, a voice rang out but was pulled back. The young witch closed her eyes as a sharp stunner hit her point blank. _

_And, for the first time, Hermione felt like crying._

* * *

><p>Hermione woke with a gasp. Blinking, her eyes unblurred as she tried to focus on where exactly she was. All she knew was that she was uncomfortable.<p>

"This is your captain speaking. On behalf of American Airlines we would like to thank you for choosing us as your airline carrier. Whether you are arriving for a visit or returning home, we hope you enjoy your time in Seattle. Local time is 10:47 am and the temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit."

Ah. Now she remembered. Immediately, her hands strayed to her stomach where the stunner had hit her. It was still sore. Moody could've been a little bit gentler in his hex. But at least it was only a physical pain. Harry… Harry had left her. He had promised he wouldn't and yet he did.

And Hermione thought that was the really hurt the most.

She had sacrificed everything for him only for him to send her away. Hermione could see where he was coming from. Heck, anyone could. If it hadn't been for him, they would have never gone to Hogwarts to search for the diadem. If they hadn't searched they would have never run into the Death Eaters. They would never have run, never would have been caught in the Room of Requirement, never would have run out of time and Hermione wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself to save them. Now, all he wanted to do was to protect her. But that meant sending her away.

That's how she found herself in Seattle waiting for her Uncle Charlie to take her home.

To be honest, Hermione hadn't seen her uncle since she was nine. But from what she could remember Charlie had been nothing but kind to her. She remembered him swinging her high in the air and reading her stories before she drifted off to sleep. Her cousin, Charlie's daughter Bella, hadn't spoken to her father for years, not since her mother had remarried. Hermione sort of filled that void. Even at Hogwarts Hermione would send him letter after letter after letter. Without owls of course. Charlie knew nothing of the magical world and if Hermione had her say – he wouldn't.

Hermione sighed as she picked up her school trunk from baggage claim and went to retrieve Crookshanks. People were staring at her. Perhaps they didn't normally see someone use a trunk. Yeah, Hermione guessed it was the trunk. After all, the only time people really _used _trunks as luggage was in those old time movies. The ones were the females travelled in carriages, or in those old west shows. That was probably it, Hermione thought.

As the airport attendant passed Crookshanks to her, the cat glared at the witch through his cage. His face screamed betrayal and Hermione couldn't help but sigh. "I'm sorry Crooks," she whispered sadly and poked her hand through the bars and rubbed his chin. "But we couldn't travel through the Floo and unfortunately cats have to be a cage."

Crookshanks looked up at her and rolled his eyes. _Don't they know who I am?_

Hermione giggled. "Sorry. But tonight I'll put out a fresh mouse for you, ok?"

A purr hit Hermione's ears and she continued scratching Crookshanks chin through the bars. After a few minutes, Hermione put the cage on top of her trunk and wheeled it towards the waiting room. She didn't have to wait long before a middle aged, salt and peppered man waved his hand excitedly to get her attention.

"Hermione!"

"Uncle Charlie!" Hermione screamed and ran into his warm embrace. Merlin she missed this. This feeling of being safe. She hadn't felt this way in a long time.

"I'm so happy you decided to live with me." Charlie said as he led Hermione to his cruiser. "It has been too long. What with you living overseas, you going to that fancy boarding school and … what the hell is that?" Charlie pointed to Hermione's trunk.

"Oh that?" She said innocently. "It's my school trunk. Since my school's being rebuilt I thought I'd bring it. You know, a bit of nostalgia."

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry didn't exist to Charlie. Instead, the Grangers had told him she was accepted into Hogwarts – School of Excellence for the Gifted. The story was that it had been burnt down during the break and wasn't able to restart for the year. Students like Hermione would have to go elsewhere.

Charlie nodded and went to place it in the boot. He seemed surprised on how light it was. Hermione giggled. There wasn't much in that trunk. Just a few last minute things the Order had shoved in there for it to look normal. No, she thought patting inside her jacket, everything of importance was in her beaded bag.

Crookshanks sat in her lap on the way back home as Charlie told her everything about Forks. Truthfully, she was only half listening. She kept thinking back to her last real conversation with Remus.

"_I'm sorry, 'Mione." He whispered into her hair. His hands grazed her naked back in comforting circles as she cried into his bare shoulders._

"_You can't just leave me, Remus. I need you."_

_He pulled from him and pressed her back gently into her bed. His tender lips kissed her once, twice, three times on her lips as their two bodies pressed together under the sheets. "You don't need me anymore. Each day you grow stronger. So do I."_

_Hermione shook her head and gasped as Remus pushed into her. "You don't understand." She felt Remus's mouth on her breast and she moaned. "When I'm with you, I feel stronger and more alive. You can't say you don't feel it too."_

_Remus pulled his mouth from her nipple and groaned as Hermione clawed his back. He wasn't going to last much longer at this pace. Her warm heat was so tight around his cock. "No," He admitted into her breast. "I don't deny it. But it's only our bond. We do not love each other, Hermione."_

_She moaned as Remus rolled his hips and grazed that special spot inside of her. Finding strength she didn't know she had, Hermione flipped him and rolled her hips against him. She arched her back and gave him better access inside of her as she rode him. "Who needs love? Love does not exist."_

_With one final thrust, Hermione screamed through their joined release, his thick seed filling her with warmth. Sweat glistened the lovers' bodies, their fluids running over them both. Hermione fell onto the wolf's body as they both took deep breaths and inhaled each other's scents._

_Remus was the first to recover and pushed a single curl off her face. "You're wrong. Love does exist. One day you will find someone who will love you unconditionally. It's just not me."_

_Hermione shook her head and pressed it into Remus's shoulder. "I can't survive without you. I'll die."_

_Gently, he placed a single finger under her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "Just look at you, Hermione. When you first came to us you were a scared little kitten. You were afraid of everything. Now, here you are, allowing me to hold you in your arms. You've come so far. Promise me you'll never go back to that."_

"_I will if you both leave."_

_Remus kissed her. His tender lips full of promises and care. "No you won't. You are a fighter, a warrior, a lover. And, if you're anything like that girl I met on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago, you're a survivor._

"_Don't sit back and let them win, my little cub. Show them what it means to be a Gryffindor, Nor Lorijem." _

Nor Lorijem. He never did tell her what that meant.

Suddenly, Hermione felt the car stop outside a simple, double story home with a green, double railed stairs leading up to the door. The garden was green, like the ones back home, and there were thick, dark hedges lining the path and under the alcove. It was white and simple, something that suited Charlie perfectly. But most importantly it felt like home.

Seeing the smile that graced his niece's face, Charlie sighed with relief. His home wasn't anything special but he had worked hard to make it one, even if he wasn't there most days to appreciate it.

Taking the trunk out of the back, Charlie carried it awkwardly up the stairs and into her room. "I know it's not much." He said, running his hands through his hair. "But I didn't really know what you'd like."

Hermione glanced around the room and smiled. Crookshanks leapt from her arms and jumped on the bed, instantly falling asleep. It was white, almost clinical Hermione thought. But that would change with a coat of paint. The bed was large and looked like a giant marshmallow. There was a dark wooden cupboard with a matching desk. On top of the desk was a black laptop, a light and a picture of Charlie and her when she was only 9. Behind the door there was a children's drawing – hers from when she was 4. It made Hermione laugh. Maybe, just maybe she'd get that framed.

"It's perfect, Charlie." Hermione said as she hugged Charlie tight. "I don't know what to say."

Hermione felt him smile into her hair. "I don't want you to say anything. I just want you to be happy."

Then Charlie let her go and playfully pushed her shoulder. "Come on Trooper. Unpack that trunk and meet me downstairs."

"Yes Chief." Hermione gave him a mock salute.

"We can go grab some lunch and then we can go pick up your car."

Hermione paused. "You got me a car."

Charlie smiled. "Nothing fancy, just a truck Billy's son fixed up for you. I won't be here all the time and since you need to get to school…. You do have a license right?"

Hermione merely nodded. She was instantly glad that Sirius taught her how to drive and got her that fake license. And a truck! Hermione loved trucks. Nothing could beat a good truck. Well… except for a good motorbike. But it wasn't like she was going to tell Charlie that.

When Charlie left, Hermione threw herself on the bed causing Crookshanks to hiss at her. But nothing could stop the smile covering her face.

Maybe Forks wasn't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

><p>AN:: Hey everyone. April May here with my first, yes my FIRST fanfiction ever on this site. For those of you who know my stuff this is going to be a ... little different from my normal stories. Not only will this be in someone else's world, (SHOUT OUT THAT I DO NOT OWN ANY HARRY POTTER OR TWILIGHT STUFF. ALL STORIES ARE IP OF THE RESPECTED AUTHORS, PRODUCERS, ETC.) but they will contain certain elements I have never written about before. Also, unlike my other stuff I will answer questions from the readers, choose some of my loyal readers to perhaps read certain chapters before I release them, and for the first time release answers to some questions that I have received over the last few years of my traditional stories.<p>

Just a note though that this story and this chapter IS IN BETA. So like always my Calender Girls and Boys, tell me what you think about it and if you think I should continue with it. Warning though, I am NOT a reliable uploader. So asking me for weekly updates will only mean I will probs only upload a quick few hundred words and a LOT of Q and A stuff.

Until next time...

April May out!


	2. Chapter 2

**HPOV**

Breathe in. 1. 2. 3. Breathe out. 3. 2. 1.

A cool breeze caressed my skin as I thought of my mantra. The peacefulness of the forest relaxed me. The grass tickling my feet as I sat crossed legged on the ground.

Breathe in. 1. 2. 3. Breathe out. 3. 2. 1.

Today was my first day of school and I was nervous. Weird, huh? Hermione Granger, nervous about going to school. But it was true. It had been so long since I've been to school – a Muggle one that is. I haven't even stepped foot in one since I was eleven. And it wasn't like Hogwarts was similar.

I could only thank Merlin that I had a photographic memory.

Breathe in. 1. 2. 3. Breathe out. 3. 2. 1.

The mantra brought the stress levels down. If there was one thing I couldn't be – it was stressed. If I was going to go back and help Harry, it wouldn't do me any good. Even if that meant having to put up with being the shiny new toy for a few months.

Breathe in. 1. 2. 3. Breathe out. 3. 2. 1.

My watch buzzed letting me know my half hour was up. Charlie would be awake soon and I still wanted to go running before school. But I guess that would have to wait. At least until I got a feel of the area first.

Sighing, I picked myself up and brushed myself down. The wind picked up and bit my skin with its icy teeth. Yet, it didn't bug me. In fact it just reminded me of home. Looking out over the woods, seeing the rain pelt against the window was just like looking at the Forbidden Forest. It was then when I remembered what Charlie had told me yesterday. Don't go in the forest, Hermione. You never know what lurking in the shadows. Merlin. These woods were its Muggle equivalent.

Well… without the centaurs, spiders, Gaunt, unicorns, magical plants and werewolves bit.

Stepping into the house, the sound of Charlie's alarm set off. Shit. Now I wouldn't be able to sneak into my room. His bedroom was right outside the landing. And, unfortunately, years of being on the force made Charlie super aware of everything – even when he was half asleep. If he was a wizard he would have one god-damned Auror.

Instead, I went to make breakfast. Grabbing the eggs and sausages from the fridge, I put in a few pieces of toast for my uncle. If there was one thing I was glad about it was learning how to cook. Merlin, Charlie had tried making dinner last night and that had been a disaster to say the least. Let's just say that today there was an empty fire extinguisher that needed to be refilled.

I sprinkled a little all-spice on the eggs and filled the plates. I had just placed them on the table when Charlie entered.

"You didn't have to do this." He said, running his hand through his hair. He should really stop doing that. He'll go bald before his time. "There was plenty of Lucky Charms in the cupboard.

I must have cringed because Charlie smiled. "Or Raisin Bran behind it."

Picking at my eggs and biting back a moan, I smiled. "It's no problem, Chief. I like cooking and I have a feeling I'll have to do a lot of it."

The rest of breakfast was in silence, and I enjoyed it. Every morning at Hogwarts and Headquarters was the same. An endless chatter of friends, Aurors and classmates complaining about the day ahead. Harry and Ron were no different. They filled the table with stories and plots on getting back at Professor Snape or scheming away to get Malfoy expelled. Honestly, you would think they would find nothing better to talk about. There was never a morning when Hermione's paper wouldn't be pushed down or getting covered in half chewed bacon pieces that flew out of Ron's mouth.

Ron.

Harry.

Ron and Harry.

I sighed. Thinking of them wouldn't change things. It certainly wouldn't stop this feeling of betrayal. No, I had to move forward.

I finished breakfast and washed it in the sink. Charlie was still reading the paper so I went upstairs to change. I had just got my shirt of when I brief tap came from the window.

A small, tawny owl sat on the ledge, waiting for me to answer. With a smile, I opened the ledge, I took the copy of The Daily Owl from its claws and placed three Knuts in its carrier. The tawny took a few sips from Crookshanks bowl, much to my familiars dismay, and flew away after a few small pats.

The Daily Owl was an international newspaper that I had subscribed to some years ago. Unlike the Prophet, the Owl brought a more… varied opinion on events. They actually reported news and not just puff pieces to fill in space. Flicking to the British section, there was still a picture of Harry, or public enemy number one, but there was added page of support behind it.

But I would have to wait to read it. I had school to get ready for.

I opted for a pair of light-weight jeans, a form-fitting white shirt and a casual leather jacket on top. It was simple and a bit of a modern classic. Topping it off with a pair of simple lion earrings – a prank gift from Charlie Weasley– I had to admit, I looked good.

That or the mirror was pulling some mean prank on me.

Grabbing my bag, I stuffed my beaded one in the inside jacket pocket and headed for the stairs. I was just about to leave when Charlie stopped me.

"You ready?"

"Yep." I said, popping the p.

"Got your bag?"

"Yes."

"Got your lunch money."

"Yes."

"Got your glass eye?"

"Charlie?"

"And your wooden leg?"

"Chief!"

Charlie mumbled. "Well I know you've forgotten one thing."

I frowned. "What now?"

A small smile lit up the Chief's face. "Your sense of humor."

A groan left my lips. "Now I understand why you and Dad are so close."

Charlie ruffled my hair. He locked the house and gave me the key. He was working a double shift tonight so I would be home alone until after dinner. Despite my attempts of calming him, I don't think he believed me when I said I'd be ok. It would actually give me a chance to catch up on some Muggle reading. I hadn't read anything Muggle since… Merlin I didn't know when. It would have to be some years now.

Waving goodbye, I gave a quick wave to Crookshanks through the window. It wouldn't be long before he magiced himself out of there. Getting into the red Chevy I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent. I swear I almost died and went to heaven when I saw that red Chevy. And Jacob had said he would give it a check-up whenever I needed one. He was a sweet kid. But I swear that there was magic in the air. Jacob was tall and incredibly muscular. He was almost like Bill. Except he was only 16. 16! Merlin, he was so young. I had never seen a 16 year old look that that before. The closest I had seen were the boys from Durmstrang. But that was only after years of elite physical training.

I looked down at myself and frowned. Sure, I had a flat stomach and a healthy figure but I'm short and a lot weaker than them, even if I am a member of the 'fairer sex'. Still… Jacob was only a few years younger than me and looked like that? I felt like a failure.

I turned the key and the engine roared into life. I couldn't help my let out a throaty moan as I threw my head back. The car… it was perfect. It reminded me of when I was a child. My grandparents would take me on these trips through the countryside all in the comfort of the truck. One of my fondest memories was my grandfather riding through his farm with me in the back holding on for dear life. Yes, it had been dangerous – but it was fun.

Although the Chevy didn't go more than 55 miles per hour, it didn't take long for me to find the school. I looked at it and sighed. It was nothing but plain, light walls and a roof. There were large, bold letters on the front that read 'Forks High School'. Underneath was a large banner with the words – 'Go Woodchucks' with a neighbouring cartoon groundhog next to it. I just groaned. I was in Hufflepuff hell.

Dragging myself out my Chevy, I grabbed my bag and made my way to the front of the school. All around me I could feel the eyes of my classmates stare at me. Their loud whispers hit my ears.

"Is that….?"

"Chief Swan's niece?"

"I've heard she's British."

"I wonder if she's in any of my classes."

"What year is she?"

I had almost made it to the front door when a tall, dirty blonde boy stopped me. He wore a deep red shirt that hugged his arms. His legs donned a pair of worn out baggy jeans that, if not for a loose belt, threatened to fall to his ankles with every shift of his feet.

"You must be Harmony, Charlie's niece." The boy smiled. I cringed at the name. Before Hogwarts everyone called me that. It was a name I thought I would be rid of – especially since High School students studied Shakespeare. But I guess they just watched the Luhrmann movie and stopped.

Still I smiled. "Hermione, actually. You are?"

"Hermione…" the boy said, testing my name on his lips. Inwardly I sighed. I had a feeling Harmony would be all this boy could manage. "The name's Mike Newton. I was told to take you to the office."

"Actually, Hermione." I turned and saw another boy, with dark, oily hair and almond shaped eyes. "I was meant to take you but Mike here beat me to it. I'm Eric, by the way."

Eric stuck out his hand and I took it. "Pleasure."

Mike and Eric led me to the office. Honestly, I could have found it myself. After all, there was a big sign that pointed to it. I couldn't have seen it more unless there were big flashing lights around it.

Inside, a sharp featured woman – not unlike Madam Hooch – sat by a computer. "Name?" she said abruptly.

Come on, Hermione. Where's that Gryffindor courage. "Hermione Granger."

She didn't even bother to look up from the screen as she pressed a few buttons and collected the sheet of paper from the printer. "Here is a copy of your schedule. On your left you will see copies of our school prospectus which includes our rules and a map of the school. If you need anything else please talk to one of your teachers, classmates or myself and one of us should be able to help you. During school hours we expect to you to be here unless you have written permission and a phone call. No one is to leave early or arrive late unless they want to risk a detention on Saturday. Any questions?"

I blinked. The woman had talked so fast and so… sharply that it took me a few minutes to realise what had happened. Merlin! It was like Hooch and Filch had a love child together. "N..n…no." I stuttered and instantly I scolded myself.

"If you do, please ask for Principal McGuire or myself, Mrs Linch. The first bell will ring in one minute. If I were you I would head out now. On behalf of your Principal I thank you for choosing Forks High School for your education."

Where have I heard that before?

"_On behalf of American Airlines…"_

She must have been in the airline industry.

A lone bell rung from the corridors. Students laughed and chattered around me as they swiftly walked to their classes. Pulling my bag close, I looked at my schedule and saw my first class was on the other side of the school.

Shit!

"Hey Harmony!" Mike called out. "We're going to be late. Class 7B, right?" I groaned. Great. Just more time I would have to spend with the blond Ron.

To be honest, Home Room wasn't too bad. Granted, it was a waste of time but I did meet some more classmates. There was Mike, of course, and Eric was there too. A bright, bubbly girl who reminded me of Lavender sat down next to Mike. I think her name was Jessica. Or was it Lauren? No. That was who she was texting under the table. Well who ever she is introduced me to a sweet girl named Angela. Oddly enough she was like Neville. Sweet, shy and clumsy as anything. I just smiled at her. Angela would seem like the loyal type.

English wasn't too bad either. It was run by a young teacher named Kyle Maine who had this great enthusiasm when it came to teaching English. Next was maths run by Ms Peters. She was an old woman with a giant smile and a sweet tender voice. However, although she may have looked like a sweet grandmother, Ms Peter was a demon when it came to maths. Not that it was hard. Well… hard for me that is. But still I was yearning for my old arithmetic class.

The day was going relatively well until the lunch bell rung. Instinctively the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Odd. I thought. But then again, I am the new student. Everyone's' eyes will be on me. And they were. Merlin I thought my little walk before school would've fulfilled their curiosity. But no. It seemed like the whole bloody town had come in for a public viewing.

Groaning, I followed Angela to the counter and grabbed a chicken salad and a small pasta. I had just taken my first bite when Mike and Eric sandwiched me on the bench.

"Hey Harmony…"

"Hermione." Angela, Eric and I said.

Mike ignored us. "You liking your first day at Forks?"

I smiled at him. "It's alright. I mean, it's no private school and the syllabus is completely different to the one at home but it is absolutely fascinating! I really hope they teach us about non-parametric Bayesian modelling. Or maybe even Bregman iterations."

Jessica and Mike shared a glance. "Oh… you're one of those people." Jessica said. I barely held myself back from punching her in the face.

Angela gave me a knowing look. "Well for one I'm glad. We needed another nerd at this school."

I laughed. "That's a new one. Normally I get called an insufferable know-it-all."

"Well new country, new name." She laughed.

Another girl, Lauren, walked up and started talking to Jessica. Her long blonde caught the light and flashed a brilliant golden hue. Suddenly she stopped, pulled out a small compact and starting primping herself. Ridiculous really. There was already so much lip gloss lips could take. Right now they were almost blinding.

Angela gently laughed as she saw my face and tugged on my jacket. "Don't mind her. It's just the Cullen's." she whispered into my ear.

"Cullen's?"

The door opened and in walked 5 people. I didn't see their faces clearly; there were too many people in the way. But by the squeal coming from Lauren (and the lust filled eyes of males and females alike) they must have been attractive. The only thing I could tell was that they were pale, if the rest of them looked like their forearms at least. But this was Forks. Being pale meant nothing.

But then why was there chills running down my skin?

It was only when they took a seat that Lauren stopped. She smiled at me and cocked her head towards them. "The big one is Emmett. He's like the most amazing athlete you have ever seen but he's not in any teams. Coach has been begging him to join our football team but he refuses. Must not like team sports."

"His girlfriend is the blonde, Rosalie." Jess piped up. "Half the school is in love with her and that half are the guys." Her eyes turned sour as she took in one boys face. "She thinks she's so perfect."

Angela scoffed under her breath. "No she doesn't. You're just jealous."

"Of that bimbo? No way."

Lauren patted her on the shoulder. "Rosalie's twin, Jasper is the pale looked one with brown hair. He's very quiet but doesn't like being near people very much. I think that just makes him dreamy, don't you?"

I turned and looked at him. I could only see half his face as he stared at his plate, picking at it with his plastic fork. Turning back I merely shrugged and Lauren sighed. Looks meant nothing to me. After all, I did date Ron.

"Alice, the little pixie one, is a right bundle of energy. She may be short but watch out. She's a force to be reckoned with."

Jess was the last to introduce them. "She's dating Edward who must be the most amazing guy you've ever met. He's quiet, yes, but he pays attention to all the little things about you. Edward can tell, just by looking at you, what is going on with you. He always gives you a comforting word that leaves you just that little bit better. But, just like the rest of them he tends to leave everyone else alone. It's a bit creepy if you ask me."

"There's nothing wrong with being alone."

Mike put his arm around my shoulder. I didn't miss the piercing glare from Jess. "They spend all day together. School, class, home… They are all adopted by the same family. Imagine dating your brother!"

I shrugged. "At school one of my friends' family basically adopted me. I dated one of their sons and another friend of mine dated their daughter. In fact, the Weasley's adopted any of their kid's dates, their friends, their family…. Since no one left and people changed partners, in the end it was like one big incestuous family."

Lauren chocked on her salad as Angela burst out laughing. It must have been loud as most of the people looked away from the Cullen's and onto the laughing brunette sitting next to me.

Lauren gasped. "Oh my GOD! Edward Cullen is looking right at you, Harmony!"

"It's Hermi…" I turned and, for the first time, I saw Edward Cullen. No. NO! This wasn't right. I saw him dead. I saw him be buried. It couldn't be. It's not possible.

"Cedric." I whispered quietly before I could stop myself. And, even though he was half a room away he cocked an eyebrow in response. No. It wasn't Cedric. Cedric was dead. Cedric couldn't have heard that. No human could. I looked into his eyes, their amber pools hit my brown and I shuddered in response.

_Professor Lupin was sitting in front of the class as the class stared at the textbook. Hermione was late, a trait she was beginning to hate lately. But with a brief nod to the professor she took a seat before the class noticed. Ron had jumped, as usual, before asking about where she came from. Typical Ron. Oddly observant but still obvious to everything._

"_Vampires are pale, cold and calculating. While myths and legends say that they boil in the sun, detest holy water and shudder at the cross; the truth is that they don't. Many vampires walk among us. During the night and day. Can anyone tell me why?"_

_As usual, it was me that was the only one to answer. "Their skin is like marble which means that the sun can't burn them. Instead, the sun reflects light that shines like diamonds. However, if they stay in the shade or come out when it's raining or cloudy; they can live as humans do. Their tough skin also makes it almost impossible for anything to penetrate it. That's why the sun can't heat them up and besides from a fire based spell, such as Incendio, there is no spell that can harm them."_

"_Take ten points for Gryffindor." Professor Lupin said as he turned to the board. A large picture of a vampire began to take place as Lupin charmed the chalk to draw. "Now besides their cold and pale skin, they can be recognised by other such traits. Super human strength and senses, unusual talents and knowledge and most importantly their eyes. Vampires have either crimson or amber eyes depending on their diet."_

_Ron frowned. "But you have amber eyes. Does that mean you're a vampire?"_

_Lupin smiled as he did a small slicing hex on his palm. The blood pooled and fell in slow even drops to the stone floor. "Vampires don't bleed, Mr Weasley. My eyes are just a genetic condition."_

_Yes, I thought, a wolf condition._

I looked at him and my hand itched to curl itself around my wand. No, there were too many witnesses. I couldn't risk having the American Ministry on my tale. Not when I was hiding from Volder…

NO! Don't think of his name. Thinking of it will only make it that much easier to say it.

Angela frowned. "Hermione, you okay?"

I shook my head, bringing myself back to reality. "Yeah," I said smiling at her, bringing back the façade of Muggle Hermione. "It's just one of them reminds me of someone from home. Someone I want to forget."

"Need to talk?"

"No I'm fine. Hey, the bell's about the ring, you want to head to class? American Studies, right?"

Angela smiled. With a brief nod to Eric, the three of us got up to head to class. All the while I couldn't help but feel the five pairs of eyes watching me leave. Their cold, yellow eyes following me as I prayed to the Gods above for my safety.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Heya everyone

Thank you so much for supporting me during this. You have no idea how... AMAZING... it was to see that within the first couple of hours of uploading I already had 2 followers. I went to sleep and it went to four. Currently, it is at 11 followers with 5 favourites. Oh you guys are magical. Special shout to MewRose who actually gave a review. You are amazing.

I am still unsure on whether I should actually continue with this story or not. This is the first project I have done outside of my normal web-book series and my official book series under alias. So I'm not really involving my wonderful editors, my translator gods and goddesses and my countless magical muses. Yet, I'm still unsure on whether I should actually continue with this story or not. I've only written 14K words at the moment and I can warn you now this story will be a long one with a fairly slow pairing at the start. However, I hope there is enough content to keep it interesting.

Shout me a review or a PM if you like, dislike, have any questions or queries about this story or me. I will reply to you directly, each and every one of you so I look forward to actually hearing from you. Well I should go now. Someones got to do my sensitivity analysis for a BCA. Gah I hate it.

Until next time my Calendar Boys and Girls

April May out!


	3. Chapter 3

JPOV

For the first time in over a hundred years, I could feel.

Well… I could feel before but it was nothing like this. Since my change I could feel everyone else. I could feel their excitement, their curiosity, their confusion and their yearning. But today, I felt them from myself.

And it was all because of her.

My siblings didn't even realise it at first. Yes, we knew that there was a new girl, the Police Chief's niece, but her scent was almost non-existent to our senses. Looking back at it now, I don't think she had any scent. It was almost like she wasn't even there.

That should have been our first clue.

The second was Edward

"I can't get a read on her." He said softly, only so our ears could hear.

"Nothing?" Emmett questioned.

Edward shook his head. "Nothing. She's got no thoughts at all."

Then we heard it.

"Cedric."

A single name in a whisper too soft for human ears. Edward cocked an eyebrow as I frowned. Cedric… Who is he? Why is she saying this to Edward?

"Hermione, you okay?" The Angela girl asked as I whipped back Edward to us.

"What do you think you're doing?" I hissed. "You shouldn't have reacted."

Rosalie sighed as she picked at her salad. "Relax. She's a human. She wouldn't have even noticed."

"Yeah. It's just one of them reminds me of someone from home. Someone I want to forget"

I turned to look at her and gasped. A small, curvy girl with beautiful curly hair hung low on her back. It was wild, like a mane, but it suited the tiny girl. She… Hermione… smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes. They looked broken. Too broken for a girl so young. Something inside me made me want to reach out to her. Give her a little hope for the day. But as I reached out to her to caress her emotions and twist them to my will something made me stop.

No scent.

No thoughts.

No emotions.

"Shit!" I hissed.

Alice tipped her head. "What?"

"No emotions."

Emmett's face broke into a smile. "Two down, one to go. Alice?"

Hermione was standing to leave as we all turned to her. Alice was hushed, trying to break into a trance. Quickly, Edward grabbed a pad and paper. Instantly, Alice grabbed it and drew. A turret, a castle, three figures and flames. As the details became more complete, I watched as Hermione left the room with the Angela girl and Eric by her side.

"No way!" Emmett exclaimed.

A busted Hermione, with bloody cuts across her body and skull stood in front of a burning castle, with a boy on either side. Both, equally as battered as she, had the same broken eyes. The taller boy slumped as the battle roared around them. The other, the one with a lightning scar, leaned on Hermione for support. Small figures behind danced in a way that I had seen far too often. The dance of battle. The dance of death.

Alice sighed. "This is the only picture I could see. I can't get a grasp on her."

"No?"

"She's… blurry." She admitted reluctantly. "Everything around her is. But one thing is certain…"

Edward laughed. I could feel the smugness run off him. But it was Emmett that asked the question.

Alice looked at me. "Congratulations, Jazzy. You have a mate."

* * *

><p>HPOV<p>

You would think that after dealing with trolls, werewolves, mermaids, dragons, hippogriffs, Death Eaters and dementors that something as trivial as a vampire would mean nothing for someone like me. But it wasn't. Fuck, it definitely wasn't. But it wasn't their diet, their strength, or the power of their eyes that freaked me out.

It was their faces.

Okay… one face.

I had seen Cedric die. Not firsthand mind you. But I was there when his cold, dead body arrived on the Hogwarts grounds. I had heard Harry scream out his name as the memory haunted him for months afterwards. And, in order to understand, I had seen his death in Harry's memories. Since then, his death had haunted me too. Over and over again I saw it. That damned green light that connected with Cedric's body blinded me. Even as I walked to my last class I knew that tonight I would dream of his death again.

Sighing, I pushed open the door to the chemistry lab and gasped.

Vampires.

Three vampires.

Desperately I tried to think of their names. There was the big one, Emmett I think they called him, and the blonde on his arm must be… Rosalynn? No, it was Rosalie. And the other one… the quiet one… Jasper. They sat at a table by themselves, huddled over a Bunsen. Glancing around the rest of the room there were already students in groups of four.

Fuck!

"Ahhh…. Miss Granger, is it?" The teacher said. Miss Littleton was a tall, stick-like woman with overly large glasses. Behind them, it was impossible not to notice her dark green eyes. I swear if I didn't know better that she and that old bat, Trelawney, shopped at the same glasses store. Littleton's eyes practically took over her tiny face. "Would you mind taking a seat with the Cullen siblings? I'm afraid all our tables are full."

I nodded – barely – and headed over to their table. Even though their faces were turned towards the Bunsen I knew they could sense me coming.

Just play it cool, Hermione. I thought. You can get through this.

_When have you ever been cool, idiot?_

Shit! Even my own imagination knew that I was going to fuck this up.

"Hey." I said softly. When in doubt, play the new kid card. My heart sped slightly as three pairs looked into mine. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"We know." Snapped the blonde.

Emmett grinned, slowing off his unusually white teeth. "You've become a bit of a local celebrity 'round here. It's not often we get a new girl, let alone one from overseas. Better get used to the flocks."

I groaned as I sat in my chair. "I just wished they'd stop."

"You don't like the attention?" It was Jasper to respond this time. When I turned, I could see the strain in his body and the darkness in his eyes.

"Not really." I said vaguely, shaking my head. "At my old school attention meant trouble. Especially when you hung out with my old friends."

A large, pale hand was thrust in my face. "I'm Emmett." The owner of the hand said. "This is my girlfriend, Rosalie, and her brother, Jasper."

Despite everything, I smiled and took his hand. Surprisingly, the cold didn't shock me. Maybe because I knew what he was. "It's nice to meet you. All of you."

Jasper frowned. He went to say something but luckily at that moment the teacher began the class.

"In order to celebrate the beginning of the school year," several groans were heard, "we're all going to be doing a little experiment. At each table there should be four experiments, one for everyone. Now I want one person to perform it and the rest of the group take down notes. Then rotate so everyone gets a go."

Rosalie was first, creating a small solid at the bottom of the test tube when heated. Jasper was next, making the clear chemical liquid turn a deep blue. Emmett then made a small amount of nitrogen, if the popping of the match meant anything. Jasper and I took notes. The chemical compounded wasn't too different from my potions and arthimacy class. I always loved combining classes to provide a practical use for them. After all, it could save my life one day.

On another note, I was surprised on how well they were handling the fire. The raw, pure flame could've jumped from the match or Bunsen at any given moment and licked their marble skin raw. Yet here they were, lighting matches just to hear it give a small pop over the test tube.

Okay, maybe it was just Emmett.

For someone who could've been more than hundreds of years old, he was oddly childlike. There was a mischievous gleam in his eyes that could only have been rivalled by the Weasley twins. Merlin forbid they would actually meet, let alone in WWW. No one would be safe.

Despite Rosalie's bitter comment before, she didn't quite so raw. Instead, the looks she gave her boyfriend were filled with nothing but love and admiration. She wasn't like the other girls in the room, who flicked their hair, checked their nails or reapplied their lips after each experiment. No, instead she seemed more… pure. Behind the yellow, her eyes danced as she watched the joy in Emmett's.

Jasper was different. Yes, he was quiet but he would watch them with a small smile on his lips. His clear cut features lit up every time his siblings touched each other's hand or shoulder lovingly. However, despite how happy he may have been, his eyes looked just as broken as mine. Still, every time I watched an experiment or looked down to my notes, I could feel his eyes watch me. They searched me, looking for a way to break down my walls.

And then, it was my turn.

My experiment was easy. Well it looked easy. All I would have to do was add a couple of drops of each chemical in a beaker and wait for it to heat up. Simple right?

Wrong.

And all it took was one drop of calcium carbonate.

Instead of the beaker giving off a small amount of heat it turned a light blue hue. It bubbled slightly as the surface of the liquid gave off a small amount of thick fog. Even though everything told me not too, I took a whiff of the concoction. A subtle, salty smell hit my nose and my eyes widened in recognition.

I think I just discovered the base for the Pepper-Up Potion.

SHIT!

The vampires just looked at me as I scribbled a small list of things that could render a base useless. Professor Snape had raddled them off in quick progression in our fourth year. It was during the time Ron had hated Harry for putting his name in the Goblet. He was malicious during that time and so most of the lesson was Hermione acting as a buffer as Ron tried to sabotage their potion. Desperately, I tried to remember everything Professor Snape had said that day. Bloomslang? Haven't got it on me. Lavender? Not enough sulphate in the beaker. Beetle eye juice? Yeah, just try explaining that one. I tapped my pencil against the page. That's when it hit me.

Graphite.

My pencil was made of graphite. Sure it wasn't pure but there should be enough in the lead to render it useless.

"Do any of you have a sharpener?" I asked, their yellow eyes watching me in confusion.

Jasper was the first to snap out of it. "Yeah. Hold on." He reached inside his pencil case and pulled it open. He was shocked as I snatched it out of his hand.

Immediately I took it to the pencil. Shaking the graphite fragments from the wooden ring, I dropped the pieces into the beaker. Slowly, the potion base stopped bubbling and the fog cleared away. It turned back into its clear shade. Reluctantly I touched the side of the beaker and sighed in relief. The beaker was warm. I was safe.

"Good, good!" Miss Littleton said over my shoulder. "Clear and warm. You've done the experiment correctly, Hermione."

I smiled and nodded my head slightly. "Thank you, Miss." She hadn't seen anything. That was good.

Now to deal with the vampires.

"What was that?" Rosalie bit at me. She bared her teeth and her eyes turned dark.

To my credit I did try to act shocked. It would've passed if it were Ron or Harry. But these were vampires, aged old bloodsucking creatures. Not 17 year old wizards. "I must have mixed the chemicals in wrong."

Jasper cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think you did."

"Well explain what happened then?" I hit back at him, placing the ball back in his court.

But it was Emmett who swung the racket. "Even if you messed up… how did you know how to fix it?"

Think, Granger, THINK! "Ummmm…. We did experiments at my old school to learn how to fix mistakes. This reminded me of one."

Never before had I been thankful for a ringing bell. But just then it sounded. Its blaring sound deafened my ears. Quickly, I got up from my chair. "It was great meeting you guys. Ummm… see you tomorrow, yeah?" Without waiting for a response I made my way swiftly to the exit. Almost immediately, an arm wrapped itself around my shoulders.

"Enjoy your first day, new girl?" Mike said, a large smile plastered to his face.

I shrugged. "It was… different." I admitted. "My school is so different. You know… elite school and all that."

He laughed. It was a rich sound that caused several people to turn and face them. Instantly the blood flowed to my cheeks. "Well now that you're here with us 'common folk', you should come out with the gang tonight. Pizza and a movie?"

It was just so… so... normal. I thought. Pizza and a movie with a group of friends. And Mike had said it like it was some sort of ancient tradition passed down through the ages. I had never been able to afford such a luxury with my friends. No, our lives were battling monsters and Death Eaters with a slice of Voldemort and Horcruxes on the side. From the moment we left Hogwarts in our sixth year we had been on the run. Then it was months of capture, torture, release and repeat. It felt so wrong to enjoy something so normal when the Order was still back home in the midst of war while I would be here watching one on a screen.

"I can't." Mike's face dropped. "I'm meant to call one of my friends from home. It'd be late but I promised."

"Well you're loyal. I'll give you that."

Yeah. Like a Hufflepuff.

Like Cedric.

Cedric.

The drive home was slow. I take back everything I said about this car. It wasn't great. It wasn't the highlight of my time at Forks. It was just too damn slow. I needed to be home. I needed to feel safe.

I got home, threw down my keys and opened the fridge. The cool air hit my face acting like a calmer against my skin. As the cold sensation hit, I only thought of three things.

1) My school had a family of vampires.

2) I had accidentally made a potion base in front of them. And

3) What the hell was I going to do for dinner?

* * *

><p>AN:: Hey Calender Kids.<p>

Grrrr. Not the happiest with this chapter and honestly... haven't written a lot since my last update, BUT I thought I'd let my wonderful readers, followers, reviewers and favouritors get another chapter before my last assignment and exams hit me. Speaking about them... 10 favourite and 30 followers. You guys are the best. Plus 188 visitors! You guys are the reason why I'm releasing this beta chapter.

On another note. Thanks for everyone who found my actual web series. Yes, yes, I have a web series but it's up to YOU guys to find it. It's also another reason why I don't update as much as I should. After all... I do get PAID for my other one. My publisher actually watches over my shoulder making sure I am writing and researching experimental drug and cult activities - not reading fanfiction like a normal person. Still... if you're reading this Chris... LOVE YOU MY MENTAL FRIEND :D

I had a couple of questions from these people, however. Picking one now. Thanks again Chris for printing them, decorating and placing them in my question hat.

Q: Is april may june you're real name or a pen name? cause that isnt your name writing for _

A: April May June IS my real name. Thanks Mum for that. But at least then I get to call you my wonderful Calender Boys and Girls. Actually, I shouldn't hate it as much as I do. My brother has it worse.

Special shout out to STP7-10SPLIT, who was my FIRST follower, and juniper81182 for being my FIRST favourite. Oh you two. Make me feel so happy.

Like always... shout me a PM, a review or a kiss and I'll get back with an answer. To MewRose and Emmeebee: thanks for the review. I'll be answering some of those things in some later chapters.

Until next time

April May out!


	4. Chapter 4

CPOV

It didn't take an empath to feel the tension in the room.

Rosalie was screaming at Alice. I wasn't surprised at this. They had been doing that since the day Alice had arrived. My son, Edward, stood at Rosalie's side, yelling at Emmett who looked ready to punch his lights out if it were possible. Jasper sat on the couch, his leg twitching and his brow deep in thought. And my Esme, ever the peace keeper, was running between the battle fronts and keeping a firm hand on Jasper's shoulder. She looked at me. The worry was evident in her eyes.

"Carlisle." She whimpered. "Look at them."

Rosalie screamed. "There is no way I'm allowing that thing anywhere near me."

"You don't have a choice!" Alice yelled back. "She's staying. I've seen it!"

"No!" Edward shouted. He would've turned red if blood still ran in his veins. "The girl's damaged enough without having to deal with us. I say we get rid of him," he pointed to Jasper, "and deal with it that way."

"You are not getting rid of my brother, Eddie." Emmett's booming voice rattled the furniture. "And she is fun! Something you sorely lack."

"ENOUGH!" I commanded. Everyone stopped but the anger still remained. Rosalie was growling at her mate in disgust. Jasper was the only one who kept moving. The steady tap of his boot on the floor reminding me of that infernal clock in the hospital. "Now what seems to be the matter?"

"He," Rosalie growled, pointing at Jasper. "has found his mate."

I was confused. Finding a mate was a joyful thing. It was such a rare thing, even among those as ancient as we. It was even rarer for more than one mated couple per coven. Ours was basically unheard of with everyone but… scratch that… all of my family to be mated.

Edward frowned at my thoughts. "She's human, Carlisle."

"We were all human once or don't you remember? Hell, I was human when Rosalie was mated to me."

Rosalie scoffed. "I don't think you can call her human, Emmett. Or did you forget about class today?"

Esme's ears picked up. "What happened?"

Emmett threw himself on the couch by my mate. The force was so strong it caused Esme and Jasper to jump slightly out of their seat. Esme was shocked. Jasper barely noticed. His leg still twitched and his foot still tapped.

"We were doing these experiments in class. It came to Harmony's, ("Hermione's." Alice said.) turn and something strange happened. She did it correctly but the experiment didn't exactly turn out like it was meant to."

"What do you mean?"

'There was smoke coming from the beaker and it smelt different too, something salty." Rosalie admitted.

"That's not all." Edward spoke up. "She's got no thoughts. None at all. It's like she's brain dead or something. Jasper can't read her and Alice can't see her clearly."

Alice tugged on my sleeve. "Hermione, I can't smell her either."

"Smell?"

Emmett laughed. "No scent. If you couldn't see her you would think she wasn't there."

"That's not all."

I turned to Edward. He stood facing Alice, his eyes looking like daggers. She, in turn, looked sheepishly at the ground. Despite the shortness of her hair, it covered the majority of her face. Slowly, she pulled a folded piece of white paper out of her jacket and gave it to me. I unfolded it and I was shocked. Three figures stood, bruised and bloody from war. The youthful nature of their being only broken by the aged look in their eyes.

"She's a soldier." I said carefully, watching the others nod. "Well then it's perfect. A warrior vampire mated to a warrior human."

"Hermione is dangerous." Rosalie said. "There's just something about her that scares me."

Everyone stared at me wondering what to do. Well almost everyone. Jasper still sat on the couch, tapping his foot away. The only time I had seen him like this was near 50 years ago a few years after he joined the coven. I prayed to God he was not struggling with the blood lust again. It was kill him if his mate was harmed. I walked to him to comfort him with my wife. Her golden eyes were worried about our son. Bless her. Esme had embraced our children as her own blood. Even Jasper, a vampire over twice her age.

"Jasper," Esme whispered. "Are you alright, son?"

Jasper kept on tapping his foot upon our hard floors. Tap. Tap. Tap. But at least now he was taking deep breaths of air. It was more for comfort than survival.

I placed my hand on his leg and he stilled. His head shot upwards, his black eyes glared into my own gold. "Do you feel the bond?" I gently said to him

He took a moment to respond. "Yes. When I'm with her, I don't. I don't need to. I can see she's fine even though I can't feel her. But now… now that Hermione's not near me I can. I still can't feel her but I know she's safe and unharmed. My heart hurts." Jasper pressed his hand to his chest. "It hurts not seeing her. But it hurts to see her too."

"Why?"

"Her eyes." He whispered. It was so low that even with my heightened senses struggled with the noise. "Her eyes are so broken."

A smile graced my face causing Edward to groan. Obviously he had read my mind. "Then you need to fix that, don't you?"

Rosalie gasped behind me as Emmett stood up and high fived Alice. "You don't mean that thing will be near us. She's human and a freak! I can't…"

She rattled on, complaining to anyone who listened. (Not that they were anyway.) But for once I didn't care about the happiness of my eldest daughter. She would find comfort in the arms of her mate. As would I or Edward. My only concern was that Jasper would have the chance to have his.

And, as I saw his face, I knew I had chosen correctly.

Jasper's face lit up like he was standing in the sun. There was a wide smile on his face, one I had I never seen before. New life sprung into him like a bolt of lightning and instantly he sent an euphoric wave at us. It crashed down around us and cloaked us in its warmth. But it was his eyes, his eyes that really made me smile. For the first time since I had met him there was life in them. A spark that only a mate could provide.

Esme pulled him into a hug and mouthed a thank-you towards me. I chuckled. Seeing Jasper's face in that split moment was all the thanks I needed.

Emmett grabbed Rosalie around the middle and kissed her. And Alice jumped on Edward, wrapping her legs around his waist. Esme let go of our son and kissed me tenderly on the lips. My mate. My beautiful mate. I only hoped that Jasper could feel half as happy as she made me. He would be a lucky man if he did. But, seeing the faces of my wife and my children sobered me us dramatically.

I grasped Jasper by the wrist and he did the same. "You will need to careful." I nodded to him. "She is human and could be harmed. You cannot tell her about vampires. It is a crime and could bring unwanted attention to the family, Volturi attention."

"Of course."

"But no matter what drama she may be in or what role she plays in this so called war; we will help in whatever way we can. Hermione is now family whether she knows about it or not."

Jasper let go of my arm and hugged me. His arms caged me in. My mate smiled and smoothed his hair. "Now," she said softly. "before you go hunting, tell me all about this Hermione."

Jasper smiled and told her everything he had found out about her. It wouldn't be much, she was new after all, but Jasper would most likely get his contact to do some digging soon if he hadn't already.

Alice let go of her mate and came to me, her tiny hand nestled in my own. "You did the right thing, Carlisle. They will be happy."

"I know they will."

Her smile fell as she looked to me. "Life is going to change." Alice said soberly. "Hermione's life is going to change."

"She's mated to a real life vampire. Of course it will."

Alice let go of my hand and walked slowly to the stairs. "Not because of us." She clarified before she wisped away leaving nothing but her scent behind.

Edward frowned behind me. His mate had seen something that I knew. But what? What danger was this girl in?

Yet my family celebrated our newest member and I smiled. It didn't matter right now. What mattered was Jasper's happiness with his mate. I took a seat and sighed with contentment. Soon, our family will be complete.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey my Calender kids!<p>

AHHHHHH. So excited for this update. I know it's shorter (just 1.5 K words) but unless I included the next scene it'll be almost double this. Gotta spread out the goodness you guys. Also, I can honestly say that the total story I have typed up so far without the AN's is over 41 pages long. GAH! So long! But every time I open that document I just get these little tingles. Love it.

Some of you guys PM'd me about what I meant by a base for the potion. Well I always had this idea that each potion would have a base. After all... how can you get this liquid based potion by adding flowers, eyes and other such solid things. Perhaps if they had a base liquid it would help with melting everything down. That or something that would absorb the magical properties of the ingredients before they were strained out after the sitting periods. You would then have to have different basis as different potions have different things and ... well whatever.

No question this week... but I will do my shout out to meldz. She was the one who pointed out my mistake in Alastor in chapter 1 (should be fixed now) and actually called my work sexy. Ooooooo. Never been called that before. Mainly my work is classified under thrills and shivers. Love that I'm moving into a new category now. Although, (changing topics) I must say... I'm impressed with you're favourite story list. Might need to add some to mine. :D

Like always; read and review everyone. If you shout me a PM or a review this time... I'll pick one of you to read my next chapter before I post it. Warning though, it'll be a while until Jasper and Hermione get together and fanfiction kids will combine with the main page kids.

Until next time...

April May out!


	5. Chapter 5

There was nothing more calming than running. Well as least that was what Hermione thought. Not the running away from Snatchers or running after a Death Eater type of running mind you. No, just mindless running. The type in which all you thought about was putting one foot in front of the other and to watch out for the trees. And in these woods, there were a lot of trees.

Yet Hermione ran. Her trainers hitting the damp ground and her heavy even breaths were the only noise she heard over the blood pounding in her ears. It was early, only 5 in the morning, but Hermione couldn't sleep. Honestly, she hadn't slept a lot since the last attack. Every night she would wake up screaming and her arm would open up once more leaving a small pool of blood on her sheets. It was common practice now to add a silencing charm to the wards around her bed at night. She didn't need Charlie listening to her screams. Nor did she want him to see that word carved into her arm. And now with the vampires around… If they came anywhere near her house, the smell of her blood may put them in a feeding frenzy. Hermione didn't need that right now.

No, all she needed to do was run.

Hermione wore her training gear when she ran. A pair of black, fitted running pants with a black crop top. Her wrists adorned a series of dark bandages which hid her wand holster from Muggle views. It was designed for efficiency, not for comfort, and they always left angry red marks on her arms. But they could be easily hidden and wouldn't scar her skin.

Hermione slowed to a stop and fell to the cold, grassy floor. Her breathing was ragged, but she forced herself to breath in deep. She shouldn't have stopped this soon. The last few weeks of bed rest had made her weak. Glancing at the angry, red cuts covering her arm, stomach and chest Hermione shivered at what they saw.

Slut.

Whore.

Mudblood.

Words cut or burned into her skin with cursed blades. Again and again, always on the same line. It was if they were practicing to write. Each time they reopened the cuts, they dug deeper into the skin. The last time they had dug so deep into her scar on her arm they had torn through the muscles and carved the words into her bones.

They had healed her of course. But Hermione had never been the same again. Even now, her arm twitched in pain and she struggled to hold things properly. To be fair she never sought out physical therapy, even by magical means. It would've meant time she didn't have. Time away from the war. Sighing, Hermione looked at Bellatrix's slur in her arm. Now all she had was time.

But there just wasn't anyone to help.

Groaning, Hermione threw her hands out and stretched. The cool air licked her skin and goose marks dotted her tiny body. Grass poked at her, tickling the thin strip of skin between her shoe and pants. Still, her chest moved up and down evenly.

Breathe in. 1. 2. 3. Breathe out. 3. 2. 1.

A lone meow pulled her out of her mental escape. Pulling herself up to rest on her elbow Hermione saw the culprit rubbing himself on a tree not more than a few meters from her body.

"Crooks? Everything ok?"

The ginger cat merely arched its back and lightly pawed itself to its master. He shook his leg every now and again, the light sheet of water annoying him. But he made it and rubbed his pudgy face into her foot.

Hermione smiled. "I'm gathering we had a visitor this morning."

"Meow."

"Come on." Hermione groaning, her muscles protested as she picked herself up from the grassy floor. "Better go see what it says. Want to run?"

Crookshanks yawned, pounced on a rock and licked his paws. Hermione huffed. She hated when Crooks ignored her. "Fine. Come home before I leave, yeah?"

The cat merely looked at her. A look of obvious duh decorated his flattened face. His master smiled at him, giving him a quick kiss before stretching and resuming her morning run. Maybe today, she'll be able to get back home before Charlie woke up.

She didn't notice the black eyes that watched her while she ran. But she did feel the chill along her spine.

Something was close, she knew that, and she had a feeling on what just who it could be.

* * *

><p><em>Redpaw,<em>

_Thankyou for your letter. Your knowledge of such antiques helped us understand the true value of our latest collectible. However, we have been unable to relieve ourselves of the piece. Our previous buyers have been unsuccessful. We lost contact with Sharp since our last visit to the seaside and it seems Fang has lost all their funds on our previous items. We did think of using Mr F. Fyre and Green but alas they are being monitored. So are such similar contacts._

_Prince has continued to make some more developments but unlike you had not been successful in his endeavors. It seems his boss is becoming more restless in his search for the young sprouts he needs for his project. Likewise, he has sent several of his colleagues after the one they mistakenly lost. Prince told us that it has become almost an obsession among them and that the Prince's boss has admitted that it is the sprout they lost that will not only help him in this project, but will help him for the rest of his career._

_On a personal note, we hope you are enjoying your holiday. We are taking good care of the house and the plants. Even the dog misses you. I swear all his does is scratch the door and paw around, waiting for day when his playmate returns. Even the comfort of my son does little to calm him. Although that may be because he misses his newest friend just as much._

_As for me, I miss you too._

_Romulus_

Words blurred into one as the parchment shook between her fingers. Her thumb ghosting over the careful words, etched with the fine pointed quill. Hermione had read that letter seventeen times since the small Pygmy Owl had delivered it that morning. Since then several tear drops had stained the words. The first had been when she had recognized that familiar script. The last being just a moment before, a corner from the school, the third time she had pulled over that morning to read the smooth parchment. But now she was in the school car park, caressing the ink drawn letters.

Remus.

Although it wasn't happy news; it was still news. The very idea of contact warmed her heart even though Remus's words chilled her bones.

For one, she had researched the location of the latest horcrux – the necklace – since Mundungus Fletcher had stolen it from Headquarters. They had gotten it; thank Merlin, but destroying it was the problem. Sharp obviously meant the sword, Griphook had taken that at Shell Cottage before they could use it and Fang evidently meant the Basilisk tooth from the Chamber. F. Fyre? That must be fiendfyre. And Green must be the Killing Curse. It was going to be more difficult now. Especially if the Death Eaters are now keeping track of any Dark Curses.

Secondly, the Death Eaters were after her. Hermione had a feeling of who, but unfortunately Professor Snape hadn't disclosed that information. What scared her though was the fact that You-Know-Who thinks she would be useful to his cause – and not just in the short run either. Hermione shivered at the thought. There was only one thing a Mudblood was good for in the eyes of the Death Eaters. And the thought of doing that with him made her gag. She prayed that she would be strong enough to evade his followers so it wouldn't happen.

And she hoped that Harry and Ron would be smart enough to not get captured.

Her fingers trailed thin lines over the next words. Sirius. Her fellow pack mate. During her time with him and Remus, they too had formed a bond with each other. Nothing like the one she and Remus shared of course, Remus was their Alpha, but it was strong enough for her to confide in him. Even now she could remember his warm arms around her as she cried or the comfort of his canine body as it slept on her bed whilst she slept. Sirius had not only became her protector; he had also become her pack mate, her lover and her friend.

And Teddy. He would be just starting to crawl now and perhaps even starting to gurgle nonsense words. Maybe he would have even starting teething, she didn't envy Remus at all if that were the case. But she did envy the fact that he had a child. A child that was made with love and not taken away from him.

Not like hers'.

A small tear left Hermione's eyes as she folded the letter once more. Merlin, she could smell him on the letter. In her mind she could imagine him writing this, sitting at the library desk, a goose quill loose in his fingers and watching Teddy play in the corner of his eye. The very picture of it oozed normality and comfort. All those things Hermione knew she couldn't have. Merlin. Why did something so normal hurt so bad?

A sharp knock on the window snapped her out her daydream and out of her seat. Her hand immediately felt for her wand hidden away in her sleeve. But it was only the blond head of the Mike boy that peered over at her, his face full of mischief. Hermione's heart slowed to a healthy level as the panic slowly ebbed from her body.

Forcing a smile on her face, Hermione waved back at him. He stepped back to let her out only to wrap an arm across her small shoulders. "What were you doing in there? One might think we scared you off." Mike said with a cheeky wink.

Hermione giggled. "Nope. Well… not yet at least." She pulled her backpack close and tried to shrug him off of her. However, Mike was oblivious to her plight leaving Hermione to carry her bag awkwardly around her knees.

"We missed you last night. Pizza and movies just weren't the same."

"I doubt it." Mike stared at her curiously. Idiot. "Well it's not like we've seen a movie together before."

Mike let go of Hermione's shoulders and grabbed the witch tightly by her arms. Hermione flinched. His hand was pressed on her scar. If he wasn't careful it would open it up again. "Well we can change that if you want. There's this great new werewolf movie coming out this Thursday…"

"Hey, Hermione!" Hermione turned her body, well as much as Mike's grip allowed her to, and saw one of the vampires… Amen, Emen, Emmett heading towards her.

Something about it made Hermione shudder.

Mike's grip tightened causing Hermione to wince under his fingers. She couldn't deal with this. It was too much like their touch, their hands upon her skin. Hermione closed her eyes and tried to think of anything but Mike's touch.

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,…"_

Her voice was slow, calming herself under Mike's poisonous hands. Still, she mumbled her old school song under her breath until a large, cold hand gently touched her shoulder.

"Hermione, I've got those chem notes you asked for yesterday." Emmett said gently. "You wanna come with me to get them printed?"

For a moment, Hermione was confused. But she went with it. She would do anything if it meant getting out of there. "Sure. I didn't think you'd get them so soon." Hermione hated the weakness in her voice.

Emmett shrugged. "Honestly I took Jasper's notes. I don't think he'd miss them. Mike, mind letting her go?"

The two men glared heatedly at each other and for a moment Hermione thought Mike wouldn't let go. His fingers pressed into her skin and her scar threatened to crack under his hand. Yet, the witch felt the pain ebb away as the blond reluctantly released her from him grip.

Immediately, Hermione pushed her bag to her shoulders and rubbed her covered scar. "I'll see you in Home Room." And, with a brief wave to the boy, she followed the giant vampire towards to the school's open doors and to the student copier.

"Thank you." Hermione said quietly. "For the notes and… before."

Emmett's face darkened. "If he does something like that again please, please, tell me or my brothers."

Hermione sat on one of the desks and pulled her legs close. "Why do you care?" she said, resting her head on her knees.

"We were the new kids once and Mike… Mike just reminds me of someone."

Curiosity stirred within the witch but she didn't press on. There was a look on Emmett's face that made her heart fall within her chest. There was so much sadness in it that it was painfully to look at. But Hermione continued to watch him and silence fell upon the two.

It wasn't until the copier stopped that Hermione moved. Slowly, she pulled herself up and placed her hand gently on his arm. "I promise, ok?"

The vampire nodded just as the school bell rang. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

Hermione nodded. "Chem, second period. But I've got gym first up."

"O'Brian?"

"I think so."

Emmett's face lit up. "I've got that too. Promise to be my partner? I promise I won't try and kill you."

Hermione laughed. "Of course you won't. Too many witnesses."

A booming laugh rung out, scaring two students who walked past. Yet it was a comforting sound to Hermione's ears. It reminded her of Hagrid's laugh and those times the Trio would spend with him in his hut. But that was before the war. Before You-Know-Who.

The two said their goodbye's and went their separate ways. Hermione's heart instantly felt lighter speaking to the giant vampire. He was nothing like the stories they told at Hogwarts or like their depiction in Muggle horror stories. None of his siblings were in fact. Emmett in fact was nothing but a giant teddy bear.

And nothing made you feel safer than a teddy bear.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey Calender kids.<p>

FINISHED EXAMS! AHHHHHH! I am so very very very HAPPY. No more classes, lecturers, exams or the hour long travel back and forth to uni until February next year! I can actually sleep... hmm...

Last week I mentioned that if you PM or review me that you went into the running to read this chapter prior to release. This week... it was *drum roll please* meldz. Wonderful person right there. They did a quick read with some grammar notes. Don't worry meldz - you did a great review. It's nice letting someone else do my editing and grammar checks. It was the whole reason I got an editor. Although they *shakes fist* refuse to read this.

A few questions were asked by meldz in this chapter. But I'm going to answer only a few.

1) Why is she doing it with Sirius?

Well... wouldn't you? I'll answer it later. I even had a short idea of a one-shot that will answer MewRose's earlier question of why he wasn't there in chapter 1.

2) What's so bad about Teddy teething?

Oh honey... you haven't been near teething children have you? I don't know about you but most of the time I feel like spiking their morning breakfast with a baby panadol and rocking back and forth on my heels. I'm going to be a horrible mother one day.

and 3) Who was watching her in the woods?

Well why don't you guys try and figure it out. Shout out who you want and I may confirm it within the story.

Like last week... PM or review for a chance to read a chapter prior to release. Although exams are over I can't confirm or deny a regular release day. I just felt incredibly happy these last 24 hours.

'til next time

April June May

Ahhhhh. Glorious freedom.


	6. Chapter 6

HPOV

There was something definitely off with Emmett.

Yes, he was a vampire. I knew that. I accepted that. But there was no way anyone… normal… could like gym class that much.

The room was filled with nothing but worn out equipment and deflating balls. Black lines marked an indoor basketball court on the sickening yellow maple floorboards. Two, tired old basketball hoops hung from the ceiling, one of which looked ready to drop. The indoor stands stood off on the side with dark black carpet on its back wall. The rest of the walls were painted in a light, cream paint that would have to be at least 10 years old. Semi removed graffiti could still be seen on it and across the top, paint was beginning to peel. The ceiling would have been slightly better in my opinion if the face of a gigantic smiling badger hadn't been glaring done at me. Again, the paint there had begun to chip. To the point where one pupil of the demonic mascot had completely been removed leaving a soulless eye to follow you as you moved.

Yep. Definitely in Hufflepuff Hell.

Yet to Emmett the room was a playground. The space made room for endless possibilities to play games and run around. He didn't see the tattered string of the basketball nets, or the creepy badger. Emmett saw an adventure. The floor wasn't a floor. It was lava and the black lines were the safe lines. Broken tennis balls? More like perfect juggling bean bags. And me?

I was nothing more than his backpack.

Emmett's energy was contagious. He made me laugh and smile like nothing else with his antics. All he had to do was give me a small bounce on his back to make me squeal in his ear and tighten my limbs around his body before falling into a bout of giggles. Merlin, I hadn't laughed like that in a long time. Not since Fred and George Weasley.

That thought sobered me.

No one had heard from the Weasley twins in three months. They were just meant to do a routine save and rescue of a Muggleborns' family. It wasn't even meant to be a high risk mission. Death Eaters hadn't even been sighted in that area yet. But something had gone wrong and they were gone. To the Orders' knowledge Fred and George was still alive. The Weasley clock still had them locked on to mortal peril. As much as it hurt Molly to see her entire family locked onto that, at least it was better than watching their name hands fall to the floor. It had hurt her to see them even shake. I don't even want to know what will happen to her when they actually drop.

"Hey," Emmett jiggled me. "You alright, Mia?"

I frowned. "Mia?"

Emmett shrugged and gently took me off his back. He bent down to my level, almost doubling over. "Hermione's too long, too strict. Mia is fun and short. Just like you!"

I pushed his shoulder. "Cheap shot, Gigantor." I turned, but Emmett grabbed me. His eyes were full of concern. "It's nothing, really. I was just remembering two of my old friends. They would always make me laugh like this. But I haven't heard from them in a while. I never even got to tell them I was moving."

The vampire went to say something but the teacher walked in. Mr O'Brian was a very lean man and tall like a street pole. He was someone I would've imagined was more comfortable huddling around a book in the library then someone teaching high school gym. His shoulders hunched forward and he rubbed his right arm nervously under his long black sleeves. I recognised that movement and my hand instantly went to my covered scar. Something had happened to him too.

"Ok, so today we doing the beep test." Mr O'Brian said, his voice cracking on the last word. "So everyone line up and warm up."

"Beep test?" I whispered to Emmett.

Emmett shrugged. "You run between these two lines in the space of this beep. The beep gets faster and so do you. When you don't reach the other line by the time of the next beep that's the level you are at. I'm surprised you haven't done it before."

Now it was my turn to shrug. "My school wasn't known for its excellence in sport."

No. Just magic.

We started. It was simple really, just like Emmett had said. But it wasn't hard at all. Soon, one by one my classmates started dropping like perridrops. Soon, it was only Emmett and I were left. But on one of my turns, my ankle gave and I tumbled to the floor. Emmett gave up only a few beeps later and collapse is a feigned sense of tiredness.

"You did really well for a beginner." The vampire told me breathlessly. "Didn't think you'd make it that far."

I stood up and quickly checked myself over. There was a small pain in my ankle from when I rolled it and a small pain in my right elbow from when I landed but it was nothing really. At least my scars didn't open up again. Blood around a vampire, animal drinker or otherwise, was probably not the best thing to have.

"Compared to my old mentor and his training this was nothing." It was true. Moody was an absolute slave driver when it came to my training. Up at three, running and defence until 7, combat theory til midday, magical duelling to 7 and more running til 10. I hated it. Hated every single moment. Yet someone had to protect Harry and Ron was certainly not cut out for Moody's training. "Plus, at my old school my friends and I spent a lot of time running from the caretaker."

Emmett laughed. The sound echoed within the hall and pulsed at the walls. If I focused past the noise of his laugh, I swear I could hear chips of paint crack off the walls.

Well at least I knew who was to blame now.

"Come on, Gigantor." I said, heading over to the side with the rest of the class. "Bet you can't take beat me in volleyball."

The vampire rushed past and gathered me in his giant arms. His fingers gentling tickling my sides. "You're on."

General POV

Jasper was in hell.

Firstly; the blonde boy. He had touched his mate, touched his Hermione. Not only that, he had caused her pain. Jasper could see in Hermione's eyes and in her voice as she chanted that song. Nothing would have given him greater pleasure than ripping that boys' hands from his body and watching him bleed to death. The boy, Mike as Edward was forced to remind him, wasn't even worth the draining. Jasper wouldn't even dare to drink the blood of a man who harmed his mate.

Secondly; Emmett. His brother had saved Hermione from the boy. Not him, Emmett. Edward, Rosalie and Alice had held him back from tearing that boy to pieces while his brother had protected her and removed his mate from harm. That was his job, his! His mate was in trouble, his beautiful Hermione, and instead Jasper had let another save her. Jasper had allowed another to protect her.

And thirdly; Hermione. It was killing him to not being able to feel her. All he craved was a gentle touch of love, the soft caress of happiness or a pure, blissful kiss to calm his nerves. Hell, even the sharpness of her fear would have at least comforted him somewhat. No, instead the bond had just given a pulse of warning as the boy walked towards her. It sacred him to not know what she was feeling. If he could at least feel her it would be so much easier to protect her. To get close to his Hermione.

His Hermione.

His mate.

Instead, Emmett had done it. Emmett had saved her. Even now, he could hear them talking outside their chem room door.

"You sure you want to go in there?" Emmett said cautiously. "If you don't want to see Mike we can get a note from the nurse."

Hermione sighed. "Trust me, a hormonal teenager with a semi-violent streak is the least of my problems."

"What do yo…."

Hermione pushed open the door and stepped through. Immediately, Jasper stood like the good ol' southern gentlemen he was. His action caused several heads to turn in his direction. Rosalie instantly groaned in frustration. They were meant to play it low, not turn peoples' heads. But Jasper didn't care. He only cared about Hermione.

A wide smile crossed his face as the two locked eyes. She, on the other hand, merely frowned in confusion. Yet she still made her way to the table with Emmett following closely behind.

Surprisingly, it was Rosalie who was the first to speak. "So," she started, the hint of a smirk on her lips. "you've already started some drama. Isn't that right, new girl."

If Hermione was annoyed, she didn't show it. "I told you yesterday. Attention means trouble. However, I'm starting to think it wasn't all Harry's fault."

Jealousy rose up within Jasper. "Harry?"

"My best friend." Hermione whispered. She flinched slightly and shook her head. "Was would be a better phase. Harry was like my brother until… just a few weeks before I got here actually. But he and Ron, my other best friend, just… abandoned me when I needed them the most."

Jasper placed a tender hand over her own. It was twitching slightly and all he wanted was to calm her. Instead, Hermione winced and yanked it from his grasp in a speed that could only match a vampire. "I get it." Hermione continued. "I do. I know why they did what they did. But there are just some things I will never forgive."

Emmett wanted to say something but Jasper pulled him back. There was a look on Hermione's face that just broke him. Her eyes… those haunted eyes that tore into his soul screamed out her pain and betrayal. Jasper had only ever seen those once before.

In this reflection of his own face.

"So," Hermione instantly perked up. "Any fun things to do in this town?"

Rosalie laughed. "Not a thing. You may have come to the most boring and mundane town in America."

"Oh I doubt that. Uncle Charlie has got to make a living somehow."

"Well we do get the odd crook now and again. There was once this guy who stole a roast chicken at the local store. Was in the paper for weeks."

"How'd he do it?"

Emmett laughed. "You thinking of stealing one?"

Hermione shrugged. "Never know when you need a chicken."

Jasper leaned forward and urged her to join him. Slowly, she rose from her chair, her arms holding her up to get in close enough. "He stuffed it inside his shirt." Jasper whispered; his breath hot against her ear. "He made it to the front counter before the heat of it almost burnt the skin of his stomach."

Hermione laughed. The sound was like music to Jasper's ears. God, he didn't know a laugh could be so magical. It was like a soft melody, a warm embrace against his marble skin. And, he focused hard enough; he could almost taste her pure cheer.

Emmett chuckled at the witch, relief washing over him. He had worried about the girl. "Our family go camping every now and again. Mostly every time it's sunny. Sometimes we just go on the weekend."

Hermione placed her hand to her chest. "My family used to do that too. My parents have their own dentistry practice and at least once a month we used to go somewhere and just camp for the weekend. Mostly, it was just my Dad and I, but it's some of my favourite memories from back home."

"Maybe you should join us one time." Rosalie purred.

"I don't think Her…" Jasper started.

Hermione nodded. "I'd love to." Her eyes met Jaspers' from across the table. She smiled and her mate smiled back. "I would really love to."

* * *

><p>AN: Hey Calendar People!<p>

Sorry for the delay in publishing. There were a whole range of factors that all seemed to work against me and this chapter. But I prevailed! YAAAAHHHHAAAA!

This week my little reviewer beta was Lucy Greenhill. Wonderful lady right there, who fixed my mistakes and gave the thumbs up for this chapter. No questions were asked but luckily... I have a range of character questions from my other page. It's a bit too late to cut them up and make them pretty so random generator it is. You should actually see Chris' face right now. I think I broke him by denying him his arts and craft project.

Q: If you could assign a song to any of the characters, who would it be, what would it be and why?

A: I love weird questions.

Firstly, I've always had this fascination with Severus Snape. Isn't he wonderful!? His entire role as a spy, his caramel voice just oozing sass. Love it. But if I had to pick a song it would be Robbie Williams "Man for all Seasons". Yes I know it's kinda cliche to have a spy song, but honestly, because of its joking, upbeat attitude I can just picture the trio just singing it to annoy me. Can you picture it! Snape just glaring at them as they dance around him singing the song? Love it.

Although I'm pretty sure you're talking about the Luxwell series. In that case I would pick Jackson Hunter and his song would be "Wonderful" by Gary Go. I just think that with his positive attitude and refusal to let everything get him, his friends and his team down. Again, a total cliche karaoke song for him but I just can't let him go.

So again, thanks for the new reviews, the new favourites and follows. Also; if you PM, review or shout me an email on either site you go in the running to be a reviewer beta. It's just a preview, fix up mistakes and have some questions answers. Have fun!

OH AND BY THE WAY. There was amazingly super dooper mega awesome foxy hot hunky dory news this week. I will be doing a meet-and-greet for my readers of the Luxwell series in Brisbane, Australia on the 3rd of December. I'll also be doing a reading of the newest installment and a physical upload. Thank you guys for making this possible. When Chris found out he immediately drove to my place, broke into my house and jumped on my bed. It was the best 3am news I have ever received. And it's all because you guys wanted it. For more information, there are details on the main page.

Until next time

April May out!


	7. Chapter 7

**PM ME IF YOU WOULD WISH TO BECOME THE KEEPER'S BETA :D**

**HPOV**

"Hermione, would you stay behind, please?"

Everyone gathered their textbooks. Hesitantly, I leaned over to Angela. "Got an idea?"

Angela just shook her head. "Careful though." She said, tossing her bag over her shoulder. "Mrs Miller doesn't take to kindly to back chat."

I pressed my hand to my chest in mock horror. "How dare you. Me? Back chat? Absurd!"

Angela just laughed. She moved swiftly out of the room – a talent for someone so clumsy – before turning back. "Good luck!"

I chuckled under my breath earning a scowl from the teacher. Her lips were pressed firmly together and her eyes scrunched back into her skull. Unfortunately, I didn't know if this was a good thing or not. Mrs Miller's face always looked as if was sucking on a lemon.

Mrs Miller sat on her desk. "Hermione," she started, gathering papers on the table. "How are you today?"

I frowned. That obviously wasn't what I was expecting. "I'm good, Miss. Nothing to complain about."

She nodded. "And your classes?"

"Nothing too hard." I shrugged. "Although," I scrunched up my face. "I don't see the point of computer typing myself. Pen and paper are far superior." Well… quill and parchment anyhow.

"Then why are you taking it?"

I shrugged again, this time hiking my bag higher up onto my shoulders. "It was better than ceramics."

Her lips resembled thin lines now, as if they weren't there but merely drawn on. Like her eyebrows. "I," she said firmly "took ceramics."

Oh sweet Mer… "I'm not saying it's useless. It's just I don't think it'll be useful. For me, that is. But I'm sure your pots are just fantastic."

Silence filled the room. It hung thick in the air like heavy fog. Two piercing, grey eyes drilled into my skull. But I couldn't look at her. Suddenly the sickly green carpet seemed very interesting.

Actually … I wonder what caused that stain in the corner.

"Tell me, Hermione." Mrs Miller said sweetly. "How much do you actually know about American History?"

"Honestly?" Mrs Miller nodded. "Not that much. Just what was relevant to basic British History. You know… World Wars, Boston,… just the main things. Why? Am I failing? I can do some extra credit, or do some more reviews. Did I fail a quiz?"

Mrs Miller shook her head. "No, you aren't failing. But I was wondering if you would like to get a tutor."

"A tutor?" I was confused. I've never had a tutor. I _was _the tutor.

"Yes. We Americans are known to be a proud people. We have pride in our country, in our freedom and our history. Although you are doing quite well, I feel like if you had someone to teach you more than the basic information you will definitely excel in this class. Perhaps it may even shame some of your classmates to actually open their textbooks for once."

I cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not allowed to leave unless I say yes, aren't I?"

A short huff of amusement left my teachers' lips. "You catch on fast."

Shrugging my bag off my shoulder, I let it fall to the ground with the dull thump. Quickly, I sat on of the student tables and crossed my ankles. "So," I responded. "Who you got in mind?"

* * *

><p><strong>GPOV<strong>

There was something oddly comforting about the quiet. Quiet was consistent. Quiet was reassuring. Quiet was reliable. And, most importantly, the quiet was relatable. The quiet didn't ask for someone to understand it, nor did people try to understand it. No, there was more of a silent acceptance between them. The quiet protected you, and in turn you gave it life.

It wasn't very often that Hermione was given such a gift. The last time she had truly been in quiet's tender grasp was while she was on the run with Harry and Ron. She had been keeping watch as the boys rested. Yes, it had been lonesome, tiring and she had been scared out of her mind every time an owl hooted; but oddly enough it was the safest she had ever felt during that time. There was no fighting, no plans to find horcruxes or spat induced stress. It was just her, her wand and the quiet.

But now the witch just sat, alone and unafraid, wrapped up in quiet's cold embrace.

She had only been out there for a few minutes when something was thrown down next to her. Hermione didn't even bother turning around. She didn't have to. Not when she knew who it was.

"I'm fine, Jasper."

The vampire sat down next to her on the green bench top. He gathered the thrown sandwich and pressed it into her hand. "Why aren't you eating inside?"

It was a valid question. It was lunchtime. Every day since she had started at Forks High, Angela had all but carried Hermione to their table. But the more Hermione sat there, the more disturbed she felt. Every day without fail Mike continued to stare at her. Jessica hated it and Hermione was becoming a frequent target of the pseudo Lavender's petty attitude. Just yesterday Jessica had 'nudged' her so hard that Hermione had almost fallen down the stairs. If it wasn't for Jasper…

That's why she was out here. The air was chillingly cold and the sky brought upon the promise of a thick storm. No one in their right mind would spend their lunchtime out here. Not unless they were desperate. Mike might have this mild obsession with her but he was still incredibly arrogant. He wouldn't dare think that Hermione was that desperate to avoid him that she would risk hypothermia.

"I prefer out here." She admitted reluctantly.

Jasper's face darkened. Gone were the amber eyes Hermione had gotten used to seeing. Instead, they seemed to be replaced by a deep, dark black. It made Hermione shiver.

"You could sit with us."

It was valid. Although the Cullen's seemed to be the ones the others wanted to be, no one seemed to go near them. Plus, Emmett was there. Emmett was fast becoming someone she could rely on. Even Rosalie seemed to have warmed up to her slightly. But whether that was because of Hermione's friendship with her boyfriend, she didn't know. And then there was Jasper. There was just something about him that made her feel … _real_. Hermione knew she would be safe with him around.

The only problem was Edward.

His resemblance to Cedric Diggory was uncanny. Not only his face, but some of the quirks Hermione had seen in Cedric in the last year of his life. The way he tapped his pen twice before he used it every time without fail. The way he tugged on his earlobe when he was bored. And, that intense look he got on his face when he looked at someone, as if they were a puzzle to solve. Everything down to the last minuscule detail screamed Cedric.

Hermione couldn't deal with that again. She had already lost one Cedric. She doubted her heart could take the loss another one.

"Another time." Hermione said instead, ripping open the sandwich and taking a bite.

"You know…." Jasper said. "We really aren't that bad. We don't bite."

The sandwich caught in Hermione's throat as she laughed. Jasper thumped her softly on the back. "It's not that I think your family is bad. It's just... I need to work on some things right now."

A sigh was heard beside the witch. Jasper sat beside her, his hand running through his blonde hair. Strangely, Hermione watched him, her own hand twitching against the table. She wanted to replace his hand with her own. Feel his locks between her fingers. Something told her it would feel like cool water against her skin. But just as quickly as the feeling came another quickly tapped it down.

"Look. Give me time. Moving here, leaving home; it's a big change for me. Letting go of who I was and the people I left behind isn't going to be easy." Jasper opened his mouth to say something but Hermione's finger moved to hush him. "But I must admit. Emmett, Rosalie, and even you are making it a lot easier for me. Just don't rush me."

Jasper nodded and Hermione retracted her hand. Instantly he wanted it back. Just a touch – that's all he wanted. He wanted her hand of his shoulder, in his hair and in his own. But his mate wasn't ready for that and he was patient. Jasper had all the time in the world. He just hoped that she would too.

Instead of wallowing, Jasper picked himself off the seat and thrust his hands into his jacket pockets. "Well just yell if you need me." He had just turned around when the sound of her golden voice pulled him back.

"Jasper, wait." Hermione whispered, her eyes looking everywhere but his. "There is something you can do."

Jasper's heart leapt. If it could beat, it would've been the soul of a drumline. His mate wanted him. His mate needed him. "Anything." He said. And it was true. If she wanted the moon he would pluck it from the sky and place a piece in her hand. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that his mate was depending on him.

"How good are you at American History?"

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Hey Hey Calendar Kids!

So not only am I proud to give this chapter (short and unfulfilling it may be), I am also pleased to announce that the Luxwell part 1 is going to be turned into a short trial run internet show. I am SOOOOOO excited. And... I've been given script and casting privileges as well. Now I can literally make my passion come to life and create my little puppets and make them dance. Whahahahaha.

Also... it was great meeting two of my readers during the little meet and greet last wednesday. One of which (**cough cough Alice cough cough) actually came up to me and said "Soooo Hermione and Jasper hey." Again... I am so sorry for sputtering my water over you. And the heated glances my editor through at you. I don't think she approves of this little fan fiction of mine. But it's not like the Luxwell series is written like this. This is more of a break should I say. One I struggle through and muster the courage to post. Even my master copy of the entire document has got my little notes berating me for such crappy chapter endings.

Anyway... this chapter was reviewed by the wonderful meldz again. She did a fantastic work on the chapter and gave me a few comments. Although... I have to admit... the classes mentioned above (computer typing and ceramics) I got from are actual American high school class lists. Are you serious? Not knocking it but do you guys only take classes like that for a semester during high school? Man... we keep the same subjects for the last two years of high school. No changes.

I was asked if there was something going on between Cedric and Hermione. Well... the answer is yes. Nothing major really... but I wanted Hermione to show a bit more a crush during her school years. Not on Krum (he may be mentioned later, idk) and heck no to Ron. Plus... I wanted her to have more of a personal reaction to the return of the Dark Lord. Sooooo who better than to pick someone who he killed and who's double she now goes to school with.

Also... I am looking for a beta. As much as I would love to ask for a beta officially... I won't have a clear schedule of release dates. Soooooo if you feel you can give me harsh feedback, have something worthy to bring to the story and is VERY good at editing (cause I sure aren't) please send me a PM. Don't worry though... people who PM or review still get a chance to pre-review.

Thanks again for the continued support and hope to see you again sometime soon.

'Til next time.

April June May


	8. Chapter 8

Normally, Crookshanks was a fairly docile cat in the mornings. He woke up, had his breakfast then usually skulked around the house and garden looking for trouble before falling asleep once more at the foot of the witch's bed. It was a rare experience for him to make a noise other than the occasional chatter (AN: Yes, the sound of a cat getting frustrated at the sight of prey is called chattering. Getting happy is chirping) at a bird or purr at his mistress' hand running through his fur. But even then, it was out of sheer annoyance at the false rat that plagued the freckled boy or the dirty blond girl and her disgusting perfume that she sprayed left, right and centre; often catching in his fur and leaving a smell that lingered for hours later.

But something was different today. He could feel it.

Then, he could hear it.

Immediately, Crookshanks awoke with a loud hiss. His mistress merely turned in her sleep, her mane curling across her face. Usually, he would let her sleep and explore the situation himself. But if it was what he thought it would be, Crookshanks needed his mistress and her magic.

He meowed this time, loudly, but still she slept. Crookshanks meowed again, and again, getting louder each time with no prevail. So he did what any cat would do.

He jumped.

His feline feet rose from his usual sleeping spot by her feet and cleared her body. It wasn't fair really. The witch slept as if an infant would and her body was not much longer than a small Nozzly. Crookshanks easily cleared the distance, spread out his claws and landed, with a dangerous growl, right next to the unsuspecting witch.

His mistress screamed and Crookshanks could see the shell of her quiet magic spell shake with the volume. Yet, it held, and he was grateful for it. It wouldn't do for the older man, the one with no magical core, to come to her rescue. This was something they needed to do alone.

"For Merlin's sake, what the hell was that for?" the witch complained. Crookshanks leapt from his spot and moved until he was sitting on the ledge of the single window. From here, he could see where he needed to go. But, from experience, he knew his witch could not.

Crookshanks could see the look of confusion on his mistress' face as he pressed his own to the glass of the window. "What, Crooks?" He heard his mistress. "Is there something out there? Do you need to go outside?"

He meowed in confirmation and raced to the door. He scratched it with his paws, carefully as to not bring out the claws. He had seen both the wolf man and the black dog man do the same thing once. It disgusted him, to compare himself to such creatures. But if it got the message out there, Crookshanks would do it a thousand times over happily.

His mistress opened the door and walked down the stairs. She was slow, far too slow in his opinion, and as if to hurry her up he started to push at her feet in irritation to get her to move faster. As much as he loved his mistress, she was terribly slow in the mornings before her run.

"I'm coming. I'm coming." She hissed angrily at him. As they reached the front of the house, she ripped open the door and waited for him to move through it. Crookshanks didn't. He needed her to go with him. The witch wouldn't if he went out first. The door would close and everything would go wrong.

As if sensing his hesitation, the witch sighed. "Honestly? You need me to go out there?" However, something instantly sobered her up. Yes, yes. Please get it. "Is there something out there? Someone's in trouble? Can you lead me to them?"

YES! She had got it. His mistress wasn't called smart for nothing. She ran back into the house, only to run back outside again and lock the door with a soft click. He, of course, was already at the tree line waiting for his mistress to follow. There was a moment of hesitation as she rolled her wand carefully in her palm. It would be dangerous to use magic here. He knew that as did she. Even her quiet spells at night pushed the limits to keep her safe. But if all went to plan she wouldn't need magic. Just the magic that lay inside that bag that his mistress kept on her at all times. The one that Crookshanks could see hiding in her pocket. Cautiously, she took a step, and another, and another.

And then they were off.

He was glad now that he had followed his mistress during her runs. Now, he had knowledge of the forest that he wouldn't have had otherwise. It would help him now as he followed a scent he hadn't smelt in a long time now. The further he went, the more panic he could smell. Going a little further, he could smell the pain. It wouldn't be much longer before…

"Can you smell that?"

Of course Crookshanks could smell it. He was an animal. He was a cat! But he couldn't get angry at her. After all, his mistress was only human. It wasn't her fault she was born to a lesser species. And even though his witch was… a witch, her senses wouldn't change until her two halves become a whole. But that would only happen when…

"Oh Merlin!" The witch gasped. And immediately, Crookshanks was overtaken by his mistress.

It only took him less than a minute to reach the other side of the clearing. But still, by the time he got there, the witch was already kneeling over the mass of blood and flesh. Parts of its skin was ripped open, attacked by a wolf less than an hour ago, and its glorious red and gold plumage was left in a bloody disarray. The bird's wing hung limply at its side. Its feathers too had been ripped straight from the skin from its fall. There was a flick of a tail, a good sign of life Crookshanks had to admit, with each flick against the earth leaving a line of burnt grass in its wake.

All in all, the phoenix was in bad shape.

His mistress seemed to realize this and she quickly whipped her wand for a quick diagnosis test. The bird, despite its injuries, cawed at her and attempted to peak at her with his beak. But the witch wasn't going to let that stand.

"Now none of that. I mean you no harm." She said firmly. "I don't want to see you hurt."

The bird cawed defiantly. Slowly, his plumage fizzled and the smell of burning feathers reached their senses.

"Stop, stop! If you don't fix your wing it might not set properly. Do you not wish to fly again?"

There was a cackle, a pop, then silence as the feathers cooled once more. His mistress nodded her head. "There," she whispered gently. "that wasn't so hard was it. Now, do I have your permission to check your injuries?"

The phoenix hesitated. Crookshanks hissed in frustration. His mistress was there to help. If it was going to be so stubborn he would have never went to the trouble. The witch needed to be safe. Yes, she did. And being here did not help that. If the bloody bird couldn't appreciate that, then maybe he will just call his mistress away.

But then, it blinked. The blink was slow, as if it was unwilling to look away in case she attacked. But his mistress wouldn't. Not she. She only nodded in return before returning to her work. The golden glow of her wand morphing into states of red and blue.

His mistress frowned and tsked under her breath. She pulled open her bag and Crookshanks watched as her arm disappeared. The fire-birds own widened slightly at the sight and he wished he could smirk in its direction. Obviously, the bird hadn't much experience with witches and wizards. Not many of its kind did in fact. But it was still amusing to see others, regardless of species, marvel at his mistress' power. But it could not have her. No, she was his mistress and his alone.

Slowly, the witch fed the bird potions and they did its work. The skin of the phoenix closed and its feathers had regrown. But the wing…

The wing had not.

"I'm sorry." Crookshanks heard her say. Her wand slashed through the air and created a gentle splint for the wing. "Skele-gro only works on humans. Your wing… it'll have to set on its own."

That was a problem. The phoenix could not fly. Lying here… it'll likely be the meal of the next predator to come along. Or, if a human would walk past it wouldn't be able to hide. Coming home with his mistress wouldn't be possible either. The older man had no magical core and his mistress would not be able to fire proof the house just in case. Otherwise they would find where she was through her magic.

But then Crookshanks saw it. His mistress had an idea.

Gently, her hand reached out for the bird. "Do you trust me?" she whispered. "I need to carry you."

Again, the bird hesitated. But still it allowed the witch to lift its body in her arms, its tail kept safely away from her skin.

The three of them walked, well two of them anyway, towards a thick clump of trees not but a few minutes from their new home. The witch sighed, and softly placed the phoenix on the floor. Her arm disappeared in the bag again, this time pulling out a large, canvas tent.

"It's flame resistant." She explained. "And magical. So you will be able to move freely inside of it. I'll bring you some rats, or mice, and see if I can find you a specialized potion for your wing." With a flick of her wand, the tent was erected and the witch pushed open one of the flaps. "I'll hide it, set up my warding stones so nothing will get to you. Once you're healed, you'll be able to go on your way."

Crookshanks could feel the curiosity coursing off the bird, but still hopped slowly towards the tent. His mistress must have surprised him. Not many must have treated it well before. Maybe it had had some experience with magical folk after all.

His mistress rushed around the tent. She cleared away the tables, the chairs, and every breakable thing in the room. Now there was plenty of room for the large bird to move around. Its eyes watched her as she moved and after some minutes she did the same. Her body slowed to a stop and eventually the only movement in the room was the witches' eyes as they blinked.

A single clocked chimed. Once, twice, three times before settling on a six. Crookshanks panicked and chattered nervously at his mistress. Instantly, she broke free from her trance. "Merlin." She called. She was often calling his name these days. "Charlie's going to have a panic attack if I'm not there." His mistress rushed from the tent, only to run back in a few second later. "Crooks, can you look after him until I get back? I'll be home right after school, I promise."

Crookshanks blinked up at the caramel eyes above. He would. He would do anything for his mistress.

She had only been gone a moment before the familiar felt the bird turn its black eyes onto him. But he would not give it a reaction. He knew what the phoenix wanted. He knew what all animals wanted.

_The human is different._

_Aye,_ thought the cat. He knew the bird could talk. _The human is different._

_Does she know?_

Crookshanks arched his back and stretched. _No._ But others had. Animals mainly, magical ones. It was what drew him to her in the first place. But Crookshanks had been the first to know about her. He had known since the first time she had picked him up in that awful store all those years ago.

But he wasn't the only one to see her. No. The wolf man had sensed it too. Crookshanks was only glad that he hadn't outright and said it. The two had formed an… unlikely alliance when it came to the topic. But the familiar knew it wouldn't be too long before others knew about it.

The phoenix made a small trill sound. Its song filled the air with the bird's happiness. _Nor Lorijem._

Crookshanks nodded. _Nor Lorijem._

* * *

><p><em>AN: <em>Hey Calender Kids!

Happy Holidays everyone! Here's your present! A brand new chapter. This one was reviewed by the amazing and wonderful **alexma**who did some fantastic editing for the chapter and got a quick preview of what Nor Lorijem means. For the rest of you... that will be explained later. Sorry.

For the other people I PM'd about reviewing the chapter. I don't know what happened. Maybe you have your PM notification turned off... maybe you have a life. I don't know. But if you reply to it before the next chapter is going out you can be the previewers.

As always... review, PM and like. And I will try and get your next chapter out soon. But I can tell you... chapter 14 is going to be a LONGGGGGGGG chapter.

Also. If you know a cross over BETA. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PM ME! It won't hinder your chances for a preview. Not at all.

Until next time...

April June May


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